Vacation Run Down

I have put off doing a vacation run down because I have been totally run down since we returned from vacation. Our family trips each 4th of July to the cabin are the perfect vacation. We are not out trying to see everything or visit everyone like we do on other vacations. We are sleeping in, playing games, reading, relaxing and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. The only sad part about this year's trip was that there weren't very many of us. We were missing two of Alan's brothers and their families. I am not going to bore you dear reader with all of the details, instead, I am going to bore you with all of the glorious pictures!


The cabin. It is officially known as "Leavitt's Red Roof Inn" - that is one of my favorite things to do while we are there - is ride around and look at all the cabin names. There is one called "More Altitude, Less Attitude" (love that one) and then my favorite has two big stones at either side of the driveway - one says "Rock" and the other says "Hard Place".

My kids with their cousins at the creek. L to R - back row; Morgan, Courtney, Devon and Luc - front row; Whitnee, Nicole, Haylee and Sydnee. (you can click on the pictures to get a look at the kids up close - you know you want to!)
All of the cousins with Grandma and Grandpa after a ride down to the meadow.
The cousins on the 4th of July. Sydnee (on Courtney's lap) has a handful of flowers. She always did, she picked flowers everywhere we went. Nicole has every one's dead glow bracelets from the night before chained to her belt loop.
Our good friends Michael and Becci came up from Cedar City to ride with us one day.
The lake.

A typical afternoon, me reading a book, Grandma with some of the kids drawing and painting. This would be right before we all took naps.
He-man Devon holding the fallen trees up so all of the girls could pass under them.
Looking up the creek to the area that my kids call the "Sacred Grove".
Looking down the creek to the trail bridge. Maybe because I live in the low Arizona desert - I just can't get enough of the green or the trees! I love it!
My sister-in-law Jen with Whitnee, Nicole and Morgan. I need to do a whole post on how much I love Jen. She is Alan's only sister and she has been my sister for over 15 years now and I think she is fabulous! I wish we lived closer so that we could do more things together - she is fun and funny, a great mom and friend.




This is her husband Mike giving my youngest a pep talk before she takes off for a solo ride.


He did such a good job that she started riding with her feet.

Just keeping it real here - that is Alan with a REALLY dirty face after a long, dusty ride.

Lastly, I had to post this picture of Mike and Jen's youngest - Whitnee. Don't you think she looks like Shiloh Jolie-Pitt?